Your Mother's Gentle Hand
by OverMaster
Summary: Yet another Unequally divergence story.
1. Book Zero

Akamatsu and Kodansha own Negima. Others own other things. Whatever. Let's just move on already.

I'm poor, I make no money from this. You already know that too.

Alrighty then.

* * *

**Your Mother's Gentle Hand**.

**Book Zero**.

* * *

_One year ago, this happened:_

"Well, Hasegawa-san? Aren't you going to walk in? There's nothing inside that you should be wary of."

A bigger lie had never been told before.

But trusting the golden blond woman's voice, since it was charged with an unmistakable sense of authority like that of a general, the young Chisame had no choice but nodding and walking in as told. Only to stop immediately and yelp in horror at the sight of the scene waiting for her inside.

There was a naked mannequin of sorts over the room's main table, lying on its back with its vacant green eyes fixed on the roof above. The weird thing was the mannequin blinked at random intervals, and its chest rose up and then came down in a blasphemous imitation of human breathing, and its hands wiggled their long thin fingers as the girl looming over the doll's body worked on its mechanical entrails, her face covered by a wielding mask that barely allowed to see her black pigtails poking out of the back of her head.

"Sp-Springfield-sensei!" Chisame screeched, rushing back to clash against the taller female's stomach. "What's that girl doing there?"

"Oh, for the love of all that is-" the woman looked in, scowling as she contemplated the delirious situation for a moment before calling out, "Hakase-san!"

"What?" a muffled question came from inside the mask. The masked girl's thin frame, hunchbacked over her awfully messy work, covered all over by large and smelly spots of grease, oil, and some substance eerily similar to thick, crimson blood, didn't move away from her labor at all.

"Hakase Satomi-san!" Arika Springfield walked in, past Chisame, directly facing the room's prior inhabitant. "This is a serious violation of the terms of your stay here. Cease these experimentations immediately, or you will be reported."

Finally, that had made her to turn her welder off and lift the mask off her cute, bespectacled, dirty face. She gave the mature female a somewhat wounded look.

"B-But I'm almost reaching my deadline, and the labs are still undergoing repairs! If I want to finish before—"

"We don't want to hear any excuses," Arika said, stern and far colder than she had been while politely showing Chisame the Mahora campus. "That behavior won't be tolerated anymore now you have a roommate."

"I'm not going to be her roommate!" Chisame had quickly protested.

"Hasegawa-san, please," the blonde had reassumed a more gentle tone as she calmly ushered her forward, towards the other girl and the robot thing. "My point still stands, as you have no reason to fear being here. This young lady, despite her... quirks, is just your age, and I trust she will have as much to teach you as you will teach her. Meet Hakase Satomi, your roommate and classmate for the duration of this term, and possibly the rest of your formation at Mahora as well."

Chisame cringed while looking at the freak's face. And the freak looked back, with large and curious black eyes, full with an eccentric spark not too unlike that of a drunken monkey. Eyes that were pretty much the only clean thing in that face splattered all over with ill smelling chemical leftovers.

The freak was the one to break the awkward silence with an unfazed, "When did you mention a roommate?"

"You were handed a report on the subject last week," Arika informed her.

"I don't remember that," the Hakase girl replied.

"As per the Headmaster's requests, I even left a reminder note pinned on your icebox," the blonde with the mismatched eyes added, her voice just slightly strained.

"You did?" the strange girl craned her neck back towards a door and into her kitchen. "Oh, it's true! Yes, I think I do remember now."

Chisame gave another imploring desperate stare up at the shapely and attractive female. Sadly, she seemed unmoved by her plight, despite her somewhat empathic glance and her sparse but sympathetic patting on the poor girl's right shoulder.

"She is a soul in need of friends here, just like you are," the Headmaster's assistant shared with her. "I'm positive you'll both find what you are looking for, even without realizing it, in each other."

The mannequin chose that moment to creepily rotate her eyes towards Chisame, scaring her even more.

"Eeek!"

Arika's hold on Chisame's shoulder became strong as steel in that exact moment, to better prevent her from running away. "My apologies. It would seem I have forgotten to also mention Karakuri Chachamaru-san, another of your future condisciples in Class 1-A."

"What? She's the anatomic display for the class, you mean!" the brown haired girl quickly corrected her.

"Pleased to meet you, Hasegawa-san," the thing spoke with a soft, polite, but perfectly inhuman and sterile voice. "I will be glad to help you with anything I can."

Then it reached up with a hand, grabbing one of Chisame's to give it a gentle and feminine shake.

"Kyaaaa!" Chisame screeched, scared out of her wits. It was so cold! Like a corpse's!

She let the heavy handbags she was carrying to fall down and still attempted to escape, only to immediately stumble into the conveniently placed and firmly planted shapely body of Springfield-sensei. "Please, you can't do this! You have to reassign me!" she begged.

"Please do keep your wits about yourself, Hasegawa-san," the foreigner instructed, voice still just as professional and even. "There is no need to fear from Karakuri-san either, and in any event, she will be sleeping in Hakase-san's workshop as soon as it is repaired."

"Actually, I haven't programmed her to follow sleep patterns yet," the dirty weirdo piped in. "I don't think I will, actually. Too bothersome, and there are more efficient ways to recharge energy. Oh, sorry. My manners."

She walked briskly to Chisame and quickly took her hands into a much firmer, almost tomboyish, rather clumsy handshake. "Excuse my forgetting you! I have been in an absorbing nonstop finishing procedure for Chachamaru for the last few weeks, and I haven't had the time for much else, I'm afraid. Want to watch?" she offered.

"Hakase-san, I am positive I have just told you to stop those procedures in your roommate's presence," Arika repeated herself, the strain growing tenser.

"Oh, yes. That..." Hakase sighed, disappointed.

Chisame made a face, looking down at the prone object they seemed to be trying to pass as some sort of human being. "What... what is this... Why are you..."

"I am an artificial intelligence developed under commission of the Mahora Robotics Club," the mannequin informed flatly. "I am going to enlist in this year's first grade class A as a test of my capacities regarding interaction with Japanese modern society. As such, I eagerly look forward my continuing intermingling with your gracious person, Hasegawa-san."

"S-Stop that!" Chisame gasped. "The fact you're being so polite just makes you scarier!"

"Um, maybe I should readjust her speech patterns. Less flowery, more concise and to the point, okay? Okay. I got it," the Dr. Frankenstein wannabe absently stated while wiping her hands clean with a towel that had been lying on a nearby chair. She then handed it over to Chisame, who only then noticed her own hands were just as dirty after the mad scientist's handshake. With a disgusted grimace, she was fast to wipe them as clean as she could.

The whole living room was an absolute mess, as a matter of fact, and she was sure the rest of the dorm would be even worse. Would she have to clean all of that up? She couldn't set a webcamera and allow her just started community of fans to watch... THAT!... around herself. Her wonderful web project would die on its crib!

But of course, the girl with the messy pigtails who was looking at her face couldn't care any less about any of that, could she? She was just there, smiling as a dumb frat boy who had just farted.

Finally, Chisame dared to make the question she had been dreading for the last few minutes.

"Umm... where is the bathroom, please?"

"Well, heh heh," Hakase Satomi scratched the back of her neck sheepishly. "I don't think you should walk in there just yet. You'll see, I was testing Chachamaru's water endurance there a few hours ago, and—"

Chisame bit her lower lip, whimpering under her breath.

That would be a hideously long school year.

* * *

**To be Continued.**


	2. Book One

These characters do not belong to me.

The little money that belongs to me doesn't come from them.

Due creative credit goes to Akamatsu Ken, Kumeta Koji and others.

* * *

_"And is not that a Mother's gentle hand that undraws your curtains, and a Mother's sweet voice that summons you to rise? To rise and forget, in the bright sunlight, the ugly dreams that frightened you so when all was dark—to rise and enjoy another happy day, first kneeling to thank that unseen Friend, who sends you the beautiful sun?"_

\- Lewis Carroll, _Easter Greeting to Every Child Who Loves 'Alice._'

* * *

**Your Mother's Gentle Hand**.

**Book One**.

* * *

Kagurazaka Asuna was not familiar with the term, but had she bothered to ask about the meaning of the expression 'Elephant in the living room', she would have instantly made the connection between it and her relationship with Arika-sensei. Asuna was what they called Book Dumb and quite easily distracted, but she was not _that_ stupid.

All in all, Asuna tried not to think too much about it. Probably, it was a safe bet to assume there was some sort of actual link between her and the teacher who had introduced her to her classmates when she first arrived to Mahora, an event that actually was one of the first in Asuna's memory, as she had no idea of her actual origins or relatives. After all, the Dean's assistant had the exact same kind of mismatched eyes as her own, and several of Asuna's classmates had noted they looked quite similar even beyond that. Takahata-sensei had tried passing it off as a common condition in the European country and town both Arika and Asuna hailed from, the same one the adults never wanted to talk about too much, and Asuna, after a while, had stopped bothering to ask further into the subject.

Anyway, if Arika-sensei didn't want to accept her as a relative, in the event she really was, it wasn't like Asuna was going to beg for her love and acceptance. And it'd be sort of dumb dumping a child, only to keep working very close to her for the foreseeable future right afterwards, wasn't it? That would beat the whole purpose of abandoning a child in the first place, so Asuna had come to suppose their resemblance was, as a matter of fact, only a coincidence, or they at most were related only very distantly, enough as for it not to matter.

So, over the last few years, they had kept a polite distance from each other, barely meeting whenever Asuna had to go see Konoka's grandfather. That didn't start changing until the morning, early into their second term of junior high, when Arika Springfield brought the new teacher who would replace Takahata-sensei. Asuna had the misfortune of meeting him even before the classes started, as she and Konoka headed towards the school.

Then, a red haired smelly runt wearing an oversized long coat and carrying a huge backpack with a long wooden staff attached to it approached them in mid-sprint, and mid-roller skating in Konoka's case, and began asking them for directions to Mahora Academy…

The reveals that followed had naturally spoiled Asuna's day from the get-go, which was why she had been fuming madly in her seat, with a large group of girls gathered around her listening avidly, when Hasegawa Chisame and Hakase Satomi finally arrived to the classroom.

Although too steamed up to explain herself clearly, Asuna seemed to be saying something about someone replacing Takahata-sensei for that year. So Takahata was leaving the class, Chisame thought. A pity. He actually was one of the most normal teachers around. She truly hoped they wouldn't get Itoshiki-sensei instead.

Shiina Sakurako and Akashi Yuuna were distracting the Class Rep while the tomboyish Kasuga Misora and the tiny Narutaki twins set a standard foolish trap at the door. Chisame sneered. It was to be expected from the childlike twins, but Kasuga definitely should have known better by now, after her latest few stays at detention.

Her errant thoughts were interrupted by Konoe Konoka's perky and happy voice.

"Hey, hey, Chisame-chan!"

She gave the Konoe heiress a neutral look. The black haired girl could be annoying at times, but looking at those huge and cheerful dark eyes, it was nearly impossible to feel angry at her.

"What do you want?"

"I'm reading everyone's future! You want to know what's waiting for you in this new period, don't you?" Konoka giggled, then grabbed Chisame's right hand without really waiting for a confirmation. Yet her attitude was never pushy or rude, but simply too eager and fast to avoid. Hasegawa couldn't do anything but wait as Konoka kept looking at her palm, carefully, long and hard, making slight humming sounds every so few seconds. Until she finally let the hand go and merrily exclaimed. "You're in luck today! This is the day you're going to meet your fated love!"

Chisame couldn't help but violently jerk back with a full facial blush, even as she heard some other girls laughing at her reaction. "D-Don't say such stupid things!"

"It's okay! She's just joking," Kakizaki Misa waved a hand around. "That's the very same thing she just told me."

"Me too," the short haired Izumi Ako added, with a gentler, softer short laugh. "Konoka-san is truly a kidder!"

Konoka made the most adorable pouting face. "I'm not kidding! My predictions don't ever fail!" Instantly, she perked up again, looking at one of the seats at the back rows. "Ne, ne, Setchan! Don't you want to know your destiny in love, too?"

The thin and pale girl she was addressing looked aside with an indifferent expression.

"Not interested," she icily said.

Konoka's face fell down for a moment, but then she, along with most of the others, was startled by the sounds of nervous chattering right outside their door.

"It's them!" Misora grinned, with an evil spark in her eyes. Rushing back to her chair, she kept her vision fully focused on the door, like a hawk eyeing a mouse.

The door started being pushed open from the outside.

A small head peeked in carefully, looking inside with large chocolate eyes not too unlike those of a deer. It looked like, of all things, a boy. A child. Tiny bifocal glasses were on the bridge of his diminutive nose, and his dark brownish red hair seemed to have been combed as well as possible, only to fail at avoiding conveying its own unruliness.

He stared at them, and all of them stared back, suddenly gripped by an uneasy silence.

Then the eraser set on top of the door fell down towards his head.

It all happened in the blink of an eye, but Chisame still could notice it.

The boy had tensed up in alarm, and then, for some reason, the eraser stopped in midair for half a second. Only to reassume its fall just another split second later, and only after the kid stared up at it with a face of... guilt, actually. As if he had just done something he shouldn't have.

It wasn't until then that the eraser hit his head down, showering him with chalk dust.

But that wasn't the end of it, oh no. Misora was a craftswoman, a master of her technique. A simple eraser would never suffice. So, as the boy coughed, stumbling inside, his right foot clashed against a tightly tensed wire. Naturally, he fell down on his face, just as a bucket full of water fell onto his head, and several arrows with suction cup points were shot from the walls and all over his body.

Wile E. Coyote would have clapped.

But 2-A, even Misora herself, had gulped in horror as a single woman. All of them but Evangeline and Zazie Rainyday, always silent, always stonefaced.

The boy just laid there, pitifully, as soft sobs could be heard from inside the bucket. Behind him, right at the doorway, Arika Springfield stared, wide eyed for once, until she focused her eyes narrow and viciously into her usual main suspect.

"Kasuga-san, we have talked about this before," Arika nearly growled, her voice taunt as a violin's cord, her right hand flexing unconsciously. "Sister Shakti _will_ be told about this so she can decide on your punishment…"

Misora looked aside nervously. "I didn't do it, no one saw me doing it, you can't prove anything!"

The Class Rep already was crouched down at the boy's side, carefully removing the bucket from his head, lovingly drying his tears with her soft and skilled fingers. "Oh dear! I'm so very sorry! It's my fault! I should have checked!"

"Sorry, sorry!" Narutaki Fumika hyperventilated. "We thought you'd be our new teacher!"

"It's only a child..." Sasaki Makie once again showed her talent for the obvious.

"No way! He must be a circus midget!" Narutaki Fuuka gasped.

_Well, you should know a few things on the matter_, Chisame thought cynically.

"Narutaki-san, do show some respect for your new teacher," Arika commanded, as she helped the boy back up. "Son, please introduce yourself properly."

_**"Son?!"**_ went a chorus of shocked voices all across the classroom. Even Evangeline, while not talking yet, had her face betraying a momentary, uncharacteristic moment of utter confusion and mixed emotions.

"Y-Yes!" Wiping his face as clean and dry as he could with a fine tissue the Class Rep had offered him, the child faced his dazzled audience and cleared his throat. "G-Good morning, everyone! Pleased to meet you! My name is Negi Springfield, and starting today, I'll teach you mag— I mean, English, as your homeroom teacher! Please, let's all do our best here!"

For a moment, you could have heard a needle falling at the classroom. All the girls seemed to have turned into salt statues.

That was until Haruna sprang up with a high pitched squeal.

"HE'S SO CUTE!"

That was the go sign for more than half of the class to charge forward and pounce onto him, tackling him against the teacher's desk and burying him into a cascade of hugging bodies. Even the normally reserved and stoic Ookuchi Akira had joined them, with a blush running over her cheeks.

Still firmly planted at her chair, Chisame took a look at the few others left behind. Ayase Yue shrugged her shoulders indifferently, then pulled one of her infernal juice boxes out and took a first sip from it.

Hakase just stared vacantly at the front of the room, as if her brain was in a rebooting. Her face betrayed no emotion at all, and for once, Hasegawa found her absolutely impossible to read.

Evangeline seemed to scowl a little, but then again, that was her overall attitude towards everything.

Chachamaru took readings of the scene through her now slightly glowing green eyes, and you almost could hear the little beepings and boopings going on inside of her head.

Setsuna was simply looking out a window.

Zazie had pulled a few balls out of her handbag and was now juggling them, oblivious to everything around herself. For the first time in her life, Chisame envied her.

The hacker made her way to the vaguely amused Arika. "Sensei," she humorlessly told her. "This is a joke, right?"

"Of course not, Hasegawa-san, that would be simply unfitting and ridiculous," the older woman told her. "My son has been studying over the last few years in one of Britannia's most prestigious academies, and he has achieved the scholastic rank of a prodigy child, capable of teaching in a high school level. And no, this has nothing to do with him being my son. Rest assured he would have gotten the assignment just as easily even if I never had been here."

"Uh-huh…" Chisame faintly said. She hated that tone in Arika's voice. It was the very same one she had used when she had stuck her with Hakase little more than twelve months ago.

"How old are you?" the scarlet-haired Asakura Kazumi had swiftly reentered her class reporter mode, fishing a microphone out of her backpack and pushing it against the kid's mouth.

"Ehhh!" he blinked. "Oh, well, I'm ten!"

"Where are you from?" Murakami Natsumi asked. "You sound like a foreigner."

"I... I come from the mountains of Wales..." he blabbered nervously.

"That's near Spain, right?" Makie wanted to know.

"Where do you live now?" Kugimiya Madoka spoke next.

"I... It hasn't been decided yet..."

Right then, however, a taller, stronger girl pushed Madoka aside and grabbed the boy his shirt, pulling him face to face with herself. He was looking directly at a mismatched set of a blue eye and a green one now. Asuna.

"You, brat!" she barked. "What was that thing you just did with the eraser?"

"... What?" he yelped.

"Don't play the fool!" she shot back. "We all saw it, didn't we? No matter how you look at it, it's simply impossible!"

Chisame found herself nodding at it. For once, Asuna was right. She had noticed it too. Hadn't the others...? They couldn't not notice it, right? But looking at Satomi's clueless face, it was painfully clear that yes, some of them had missed the detail.

"It must have been a freak breeze," Misa piped in.

"INSIDE OF A BUILDING?" Asuna noted.

"It'd get in through a window," Naba Chizuru opined.

"NOT MOVING ANYTHING BUT AN ERASER?" Asuna claimed.

"Asuna-san, please!" the blonde Class Rep raised her voice, slamming a hand down on the desk a few times. "Let our teacher go right now!"

The redhead growled at her. "I'd be very happy to let him go for good, yes!"

The elegant, refined class president huffed at her. "As expected from a violent maniacal ape like you. You show no respect neither for authority, nor for the defenseless."

A vein popped into Asuna's forehead. "Maniacal... ape...?"

"You have not evolved beyond that," the Iinchou was unfazed. "Clearly, the young gentleman you are manhandling is a prodigy of his field. We all should feel honored to have him here. Perhaps he could achieve the miracle of teaching you anything other than the alphabet".

Asuna let the child go to face her natural nemesis. "What's with you now, being so sure about this twerp?"

"Hm... It's painfully obvious for anyone with a few working brain cells," the blonde casually brushed a lock of golden hair off her own forehead. "Mahora Academy only employs the best of the best, and for some foreign youngster to be working here, he must be nothing but the pinnacle of precocious experience."

Asuna chuckled knowingly. "Yeah, right, I'd bet you want to have some precocious experience with him."

The Class Rep narrowed her eyes, as if she had felt something biting her. "What do you mean with that?"

Asuna said only one word. "Shotacon."

That had done it.

"WHAT?" the refined girl stopped being so refined as she jumped straight for Asuna. "Take that back, you... you... graverobber! It's not my fault you can't realize your dreams of hitting on every elder man that walks your way!"

They started struggling with each other, as the girls around them cheered on wildly, and the child began doing his best to keep them apart from tearing themselves into pieces. Arika simply stayed back, watching over the struggle with a quietly interested expression.

"AT LEAST I LIKE THEM OF LEGAL AGE!"

"YES, IT'D WORK FINE IF **YOU** WERE OF LEGAL AGE TOO! SHAMELESS LOLITA!"

"I'LL GET OLDER, BUT YOU'LL NEVER GET AS YOUNG AS THE BABIES YOU HARASS!"

Chisame buried her face into her hands. Even Itoshiki-sensei would have been better than that.

* * *

"Good afternoon, Hasegawa-san, Hakase-san," Arika greeted Chisame and Satomi upon their arrival back home from the Chao Bao Zi. "Our apologies over intruding without your authorization, but seeing you were taking so long, I saw fit using my master key in your door. I hope there will be no protestations over that fact."

"Good evening," Negi bowed respectfully, looking rather downcast in comparison to how he had been acting that morning, even while Asuna was bombarding him with chalk from her seat, only to feign innocence whenever he turned around.

Chisame hoped she wasn't as pale with shock as she felt. If only she could look as unaffected as Hakase was... "Wh-Why did you two feel you 'needed' to get in here?"

"After a long time spent debating the conveniences of Negi's accommodations in Mahora, the Headmaster and I came to the conclusion he would be best staying with you for the next couple of months," Arika informed.

"I'm sorry to be a bother..." the boy apologized, melancholically, looking at his own feet.

"What?" Chisame snapped. "He's supposed to be your son, isn't he? Why can't he stay with you, after being apart for so long..?"

"Regrettably, the pressing nature of my current duties, and the unique complexity of my accommodations, mean I cannot take physical care of him for the time being," the beautiful blonde explained patiently. "I will do my best to visit him regularly, and to take full custody of him as soon as I can, but that doesn't seem to be a possibility at the time."

"Well, then how about any of the other teachers?" argued Chisame.

"Takahata would have gladly taken him in, but the circumstances of his line of job make him even less fitting the task than me," Arika replied. "As for the others, no satisfactory agreements could be reached with them. As for your classmates, I trust you will agree very few of them could be trusted with a child."

Chisame made a face. How desperate they had to be for the two of them to be their best hope? In any instance, it was logical to guess the old man wouldn't dump that load on his beloved granddaughter. Damn favoritisms.

Satomi didn't look too shaken by the news, but still seemed wary in her own way. "I don't think I could carry my experiments with full freedom if I have him running around," she informed dutifully.

"Once again, I will stress you're still forbidden from carrying your research in this building," the adult reminded her.

Hakase sighed. "It always has to be that loophole, doesn't it?"

Negi shifted his gaze to the big travel bag lying at his feet, looking humble and saddened.

"If it's any consolation, let me assure you how much this means to me," Arika told the girls. "Out of all your classmates, you are the ones I would rather entrust with the safety of my only son, and I humbly plead for your understanding and cooperation," she added, bowing her head slightly. "Regardless, the Headmaster insisted on your acceptance, so I'm afraid he will be less open to discussion over this subject than I am."

"But, if there's no place for me here, I always could—" Negi started.

"Son, you are as bound to these stipulations as they are, if not moreso," his mother stated conclusively.

Chisame grumbled. At the very least, all her Chiu wardrobe and related items were safely stocked into her special closet, away from indiscreet eyes for the moment. "How long will that take?" she wanted to know.

"As long as it takes me finding a more satisfactory solution for all of us," the woman said.

In Mahora Academy bureaucratic terms, that was but one of many terms and sentences that roughly meant, 'It's intended to be permanent, so you'd better shut up and take it', as Chisame knew from experience. It was the same reply she got back when she first attempted to file a petition to be transferred to a solo room all those months ago.

Both girls looked at each other's eyes, and found no clear answer, but still, Chisame decided not to delay the unavoidable anymore. "Okay," she gave a sigh. "He can stay. For now."

The child beamed up a shy, sad little smile that Chisame found borderline pathetic; a smile that wasn't without some sincerity, but still seemed mostly born from compromise and obligation. "Thank you very much, Hasegawa-san, Hakase-san," he told them, in a low, soft tone.

Good Lord, he was so sickeningly sweet. Was he for real? Chisame already had her strong doubts.

But mostly, she was terrified about what new roommate would they give her the **NEXT** year.

* * *

Two days later, as Arika sit in her living room quietly enjoying a good book, they rang on the door.

'Them' being Negi, Chisame-san and Hakase-san. The boy looked highly contrite and embarrassed, and when Arika ushered them in and asked him why, he offered a rather clear answer.

"Ah... you'll see... I mean... it has been a... it happens Hasegawa-san and Hakase-san... it was not their fault, not at all, but mine... but, as I said, as it happens... I thought you had the right to know... being my mother... but please, don't have them punished..."

"So they found your secret out," Arika easily concluded, because yes, that kind of exposition is clear when a child is giving it to their mother. It's a Mother-Sense thing. "I must admit being surprised. I had given you at least one week."

"Bweh?" asked Negi, as Chisame looked like she wanted to melt into the background, and Satomi simply stood apparently unconcerned.

Arika moved towards the kitchen of her small apartment. "Make yourselves comfortable as I brew you some tea. I'm afraid mine isn't half as good as Nekane's, but-"

"M-Mother!" Negi rushed after her, all but wailing. "I know I have failed you and my father's legacy, but please don't treat me this coldly! Let me explain..."

She looked back at him, blinking. "Coldly? Do you mean... Oh, no, I'm hardly furious at you. I'm just trying to take this in stride, but if you would prefer me to react with anger..."

"... I'm glad you're taking it so well," Negi gave a step back.

Arika nodded as she heated the teapot up, noticing how Chisame shyly spied by the kitchen's door, clearly paler than usual. "It was just natural. You have spent years in an isolated school in the mountains where everyone used magic, and, as I have repeatedly warned the Merdiana Dean, their teachings on keeping the Masquerade are awfully out of line with these times. He never listens, of course."

"Ahhhh..." Negi said, swallowing. "May, may I help you with..."

"You are my guests. Don't bother," his mother said, taking the tea to the living as Chisame quickly pretended having been in her chair the whole time. "As for your father's legacy, Negi, he was just as terrible at hiding his secrets, even if only because of how much of a showoff he always was. No wonder he always preferred wandering through the wastelands of Mundus Magicus, where he could be himself without any restrains..."

"But that doesn't sound like the best place for a showoff," Satomi said as she accepted her tea. "Who would he show off there? Thank you, by the way."

"Mundus Magicus?" a confused Chisame asked, struggling with the Latin pronunciation. "What's a Mundus Magicus?"

"The world of magic from where I hail, naturally," Arika said, pouring a cup for Chisame as well. "As for Nagi, he always was a man of contradictions. But even in the desert he always was found by stalkers and maniacs to show his skills off to..."

_Somewhere else in the campus, Evangeline A.K. Mc Dowell sneezed during a tea ceremony_.

Negi blinked as he was served as well. "So... are you okay with Hasegawa-san and Hakase-san being on in my secret?"

"Negi, I approved the Headmaster's choice of your roommates because I knew they could be trusted, if anything like this ever happened," Arika told him.

"Really?" Chisame just had to ask. "Us of all people?"

Arika began delicately sipping her own tea. "Of course. You show as little desire to interact with the perceivably abnormal as possible, and Hakase-san already is in knowledge of the supernatural in her research to empower Karakuri-san. Either of you is unlikely to try and reveal our secrets in the close future."

Hakase nodded, thanking the complex chain of cause and effect events Arika-sama apparently remained blissfully unsuspecting of Chao's long term plans.

"So, tell me..." Arika smiled, "How did it come to pass?"

"Well," Negi began, "I accidentally walked in on Hasegawa-san as she was taking pictures of herself for her page..."

Chisame immediately proceeded to show she wasn't anywhere as calm as Arika when it came to her secrets being revealed.

* * *

The next few days went on quietly enough, as Negi, Chisame and Satomi seemed to have settled on a comfortable enough domestic life, and Arika had little contact with them during that time.

Then, that fateful afternoon, her son showed up at her doorstep, just as sheepily as the last time he had been there. But this time, alone.

"I was wondering... if I could have your advice on something that has been bugging me lately?"

"Of course. Come in," she allowed him inside, and gestured him towards a seat at her table. "The same tea as the last time, I assume?"

"Please," he said in a small, docile voice. And then, after a long inhale, he added, "It's about Kagurazaka-san."

She briefly stopped in her way to the kitchenette, but reassumed her walk almost immediately. "I see. Still having problems with her?"

"More than with anyone else," he shared. "I've tried setting bridges between us, but it's not easy at all. Which is problematic, because I have to see her and the Baka Rang- the other students with the worst grades in the classroom, extra hours every day, for their remedial lessons. And I can tell she resents that."

"It's something she'll have to accept. That's a necessary part of growing up," his mother said while setting the tea up to brew.

"I know, but I have to do the most in the effort to connect, don't I? I'm her teacher, I'm supposed to know better. And so, I got the idea to help her with something, so I used mind reading on her..."

"And you're struggling with the ethical implications of having done that," she guessed.

"Um... Now that you mention it... Oh God, I did that wrong, too! I'm a walking disaster, what have I done, I-"

To stop the flow of angst while it still was fresh, she asked again, "If your previous concerns hadn't been about that... then, about what? Did she learn about your magic in the proccess?"

He sighed. "No. I learned she is in love with a man."

"Oh."

"An older man."

"Well, if he were younger than her, he wouldn't be a man, would he."

"A much older man!"

"Takamichi."

Negi blinked. "You _**knew**_?!"

"Everyone knows," Arika said, returning with the tea tray and biscuits. "It's natural for girls at that age, to develop crushes on older gentlemen. I... had a serious one of my own, before meeting your father."

"Seriously? On whom, may I ask?"

"... I... I really would prefer not talking on the subject."

"Uhhhh... right, sorry..." he said, feeling that topic was one he definitely should stray away from in the future.

And how right he was.

"Then, what do you think I should do...?" Negi asked.

"Let it run its course," Arika suggested. "Kagurazaka-san is bound to grow out of that crush and eventually find herself a more fitting partner. And we both know Takamichi won't ever take advantage of her attraction, so you should look for other ways to help her. Her birthday will take place in only a few weeks, why don't you wait until then?"

Remembering the data on his students he had been memorizing lately, the boy looked down. "That'd be after my end of term test. I'd like doing something for her before that..."

"Leave her be. That's the best someone can do for her. She isn't the kind who easily tolerates attempts to impose oneself upon her, even if it's for her own good," Arika told him.

Negi pouted. "I'd like to believe I can do more for her..."

She looked at him for several moments, in a strange silence. Then she smiled. "I'm glad to see you're genuinely concerned for her. She is... someone in great need of affection. I'd like to do more for her, as well, but... sometimes, all you can do is standing aside and hoping for the best. Still," she played with his hair, "Never lose that helpful spirit, Negi. I'm relieved Merdiana and Nekane taught you so well."

"Yes... thank you," he said in a tiny sad tone.

"I'm sorry I couldn't do more for you either," she confessed, giving him a hug.

"It's okay," he quietly said, resting his head against her body, and absently rubbing one of her arms with a hand, up and down, up and down. "I understand, Mother."

_No, you don't_, she thought. _How could you ever really understand? And how could she, either?_

So Negi never brewed a love potion for Asuna.

But fated things always find their way, one fashion or another.

* * *

Two days after, while Arika-sensei quietly enjoyed a good soak in the public baths, she was approached by several 2-A students.

"Good evening, and excuse us, Springfield-sensei, but might we have a few words with you?" Yukihiro Ayaka asked her.

She opened those eyes so disturbingly reminiscent of Asuna-san's. "You certainly can, Yukihiro-san," the woman allowed.

"Ah. Thank you," Ayaka nodded, sitting in the water before her, with Murakami Natsumi, Naba Chizuru, Saotome Haruna, Ayase Yue and Miyazaki Nodoka following her example. It was a very big pool. "As Negi-sensei's mother, what are your thoughts on Hasegawa-san and Hakase-san keeping custody over him?"

"Negi seems pleased with their company, and as long as he is, so I am," the older blonde calmly replied.

"Yes, of course, but-" Ayaka doubted, "Are you sure he isn't graciously hiding any discomfort he might have with his current situation? Forgive me over saying this, but I don't believe Hasegawa-san or Hakase-san fit the type of motherly guidance a boy his age needs..."

"Good thing, then, he can come to me whenever they might fail to supply that sort of support, wouldn't you agree?" the woman asked her.

Ayaka gulped. "Certainly, and I'm sure you do a wonderful job at it too, but even so, you are such a busy woman..."

"I appreciate you offer, Yukihiro-san, but all six of you live in three-person quarters, which means Negi would have less available room with you than he has with Hasegawa-san and Hakase-san. And a boy his age needs a lot of personal space..."

"I, I never said it had to be with us!" Ayaka gasped.

Saotome piped in. "But anyway, we take little space in our own rooms! The needs of a librarian are few and humble, aren't they, Nodo-chi, Yuecchi?"

"Oh, no, we couldn't impose that upon you," Arika told them. "As for whose of your roommates who live alone or with a single partner, which ones would you trust with such a task? Izumi-san and Sasaki-san?"

"Errr, not exactly..." Ayaka admitted.

"Ookuchi-san and Akashi-san?"

"They wouldn't be my first choice..." Naba mused aloud.

"Sakurazaki-san and Tatsumiya-san?"

Nodoka and Natsumi began choking in their saliva.

"Kagurazaka-san and Konoe-san?" Arika guessed, with a finger on her own chin.

"ABSOLUTELY NOT!" Ayaka cried, standing up from the water, and just as quickly, sitting back down with a heavy blush. "... I mean, I assume you talked in jest, Springfield-sensei. Please forgive my outburst. Perhaps I've been in hot water far too long..."

"It would seem so, yes," Arika nodded sagely.

"So, um, perhaps we should be going..."

"I'm sure Negi and the girls won't mind receiving your visits anytime you wish for their company," Arika smiled.

Ayaka blushed even more, and so did Natsumi and Nodoka. "... of course..."

Young women starting forbidden crushes. They always were so lovely.

Although, thinking about it in depth, it WAS slightly worrying Negi already had that effect on females, so early in his life. Arika had been hoping it could skip at least one generation...

* * *

A few more days came and went, and everything was right with the world. Yes, things were as well as they could be in the small, safe world of white and gray lies of adults, the world Arika had once despised and sworn to subvert, only to end up as caught into as everyone else. From a respectful distance, she watched Negi clumsily try to approach Asuna, to close the gap between them, only to fail at each turn. She worried when each attempt would chip away at his all too frail mask of stubborn happiness, and further embitter her against him. Hasegawa and Hakase were of no great help on it either, each having their own serious difficulties to socialize, much less with a fairly popular athlete.

Then there came the dodgeball game against Itoshiki-sensei's Class 2-F.

"Hip hip hooray! Nodoka! Honya-chan!" the 2-A students cheered as they tossed the gasping student who had made it to the end of the match, saved by a literal miracle when the sole remaining member of the other team, a much physically superior girl and renowned sports star (who still preferred artistic pursuits to physical challenges) had forfeited on the grounds of a lesson. Asuna smiled, standing next to Negi and Chisame, who still remained somewhat silent and groggy over the ball hits to the head taken during the match. It was clear Asuna had gained some measure of respect for them after seeing what they were able to do, and that made Arika happy for all of them. Perhaps, some day, she could even tell them.

Perhaps.

Noticing the quiet departure of 2-F's Fujiyoshi Harumi, she tailed her, and as expected, soon she saw the girl was not heading towards the medical wing. "You should have that hand seen, Fujiyoshi-san," the blond woman calmly told her after doubling a corner far from the cheering crowd, quickly but elegantly covering the distance between them. "Unless," she added, "the real bruise happens to be in your heart."

"Ah!" the girl gasped, taking a few back steps away from the Headmaster's assistant. "Oh, it's, it's you, Springfield-sensei! I, oh, hm, I don't need going to the nurse's office that often, so I lost my way...?"

"I see. Well, if you have lost your way, I always can guide you there."

The bespectacled, black haired young beauty squirmed in place, obviously uncomfortable with the offering. "Thank you..."

"Fujiyoshi-san," Arika told her then. "I know it's not a personal matter of mine, so I'll apologize and leave you be if you wish it so. But I don't think it's fair wasting our nurses' valuable time either."

Fujiyoshi-san, who was remarkably sane for a student of Nozomu, smiled bitterly. "You could tell, huh?"

"There's always someone you won't be able to fool. And I have seen many a wound and bruise through my life. It takes a lot for someone to trick me into accepting a false one. All the same, I also consider myself capable when it comes to detecting the wounds we carry inside."

They sat together on a bench near the road.

"That girl, Miyazaki... When I saw in her eyes, well, what I could see through her bangs anyway, how driven she was, despite her fear, and all for Haruna's sake, I felt like a heel, a bully. At that moment, I realized she was the true winner of the game. I just accepted that for what it was, that's all."

"Very well. I doubt either she or Saotome-san would care if they knew. Saotome-san doesn't seem to share her family's outdated sense of fighting spirit. I doubt your classmates would be as understanding, so be careful."

"Tell me about it," the girl said. "Springfield-sensei...?"

"Hmmm?"

"Itoshiki-sensei seems to think very highly of you. Did you two ever-?"

"I know him since he was a child," the blonde sharply said, looking into the distance, towards the World Tree. "He was a protégé of my husband, actually."

"Was he always that... well... you know?"

Arika made a small smile. "No. He wasn't always this well adjusted."

"Oh, geez!"

"We did what we could for him," the woman reminisced. "But ultimately, it falls on all of us to take responsibility over our definite path in life. That is what separates men and women from children; the moment when you can start saying you are forging your own future. The moment the little bird starts flying."

"Negi-kun is a bird who started early, isn't he?" Harumi mused, looking at the doves flying above them.

"He is flapping his wings with vigor," Arika conceded, "but I don't think they are strong enough yet. Perhaps soon. Perhaps."

Harumi's gaze went lower, and lower, gradually. "I wish my mother could be as wise as you."

"You don't really want for your mother to be like me," Arika shook her head. "I know I have been a bad mother for Negi. Maybe he doesn't realize it now, but I know he, eventually, will come to resent me."

"But you are with him now," she said.

_And that's why he'll come to resent me_, Arika thought, but it went unsaid. She only stood up and calmly dusted her lap off. "If anyone asks, we'll tell them I applied a medicinal massage I once learned on your hand, and that it will heal soon. Regardless, you should buy some bandages and put them on before returning home. This is the last time I help you with a lie, remember," she warned.

Harumi nodded. "Thank you, Springfield-sensei."

The woman nodded at her, then walked down the path between the sakura trees, and out of sight.

If you listened carefully, you still could hear the cheers for Nodoka in the distance.

* * *

**To be Continued**.


	3. Book Two

No, these characters and franchises still aren't mine. Akamatsu Ken created Negima.

This story has no basis on anything that has ever happened or anyone who has ever lived in reality. It's up to you deciding if that's a bad or good thing.

* * *

**Your Mother's Gentle Hand**.

**Book Two**.

* * *

"- and there was this gigantic underworld beneath the Library, with all sorts of miniature tropical islands!" Negi narrated excitedly, gesturing around with his arms as he narrated the tale, sitting at Arika's living room with Hakase and Hasegawa, the latter of whom was covering her own face with a hand. "And on those islands, hugely tall book shelves everywhere, along ancient trees! And vending machines dispensing fresh meals!" He pulled out an empty potato chip bag from a pocket. "Saotome-san took plenty of pictures! I'll ask Chisame-san to send them to your e-mail..."

"Sounds like you had a lot of fun there," Arika pleasantly said.

"I lost my best laptop there!" Chisame bitterly reminisced. "Fun, my foot!"

Negi pouted. "I told you I'd buy a new one...!"

"Nonsense, I can *make* her a new one," Satomi shook her head. "And with far more new applications and functions, as well!"

"I don't want a laptop that will take awareness of itself and lead the rest of the machines in a war campaign against humans!" Chisame warned.

"Chachamaru turned out fine, didn't she?" the other girl asked her.

"That's debatable!"

"Well, then explain to me how!"

"And we were attacked by this giant stone golem we found in the book's secret chamber, again!" Negi kept telling his mother. "It was just like in the final survival test in Merdiana! Oh, good thing Anya couldn't see me then...! She'd have been so disappointed!"

"You had blocked your own magic, hadn't you?" Arika asked. "That makes a whole world of difference."

Of course, not that a lack of magic impeded Nagi from rescuing her from a canyon filled with ravenous murderous beasts. But Nagi was Nagi. There was no need to place that sort of added pressure on the poor boy.

"Anyway, Negi, I'm proud of you, and also of you, Hasegawa-san, Hakase-san," Arika continued. "Congratulations over your next term together."

"Thank you, Mother," the boy bowed. "My only regret is Father could not be here to see it, too."

"I am sure he is, even if only in spirit, Negi," she replied, fondly petting his hair.

He smiled at her, then, and right there, that made it all worthwhile.

* * *

"Ah... Good morning!" Negi-sensei, wearing his usual formal suit ensemble, and always carrying his bandaged staff around, bashfully greeted Ayaka, standing at Sebastian's right. Behind them, Hasegawa Chisame, in a plain white shirt and blue pants, merely nodded her head once in the rich girl's direction. Hakase Satomi stood nearby, not looking at the hostess at all, clad in shorts and a black shirt, taking some samples of wood from a tree and carefully placing them inside of a small metallic container.

"Good morning, Iinchou-chan!" Shiina Sakurako, in a very short and tight skirt and sleeveless orange top, smiled at her, a red cap perched on the top of her head.

"Hello! You look very good today!" Konoe Konoka chirped, happy as a free bird, at Sakurako's left and sporting a pretty summer dress with sandals.

"We extend our deepest thanks for your hospitality, Yukihiro-san," nodded Arika Springfield, wearing a long skirted white dress, with matching hat and sandals.

"You're looking a bit too fancy for a simple short visit, though..." Finally, the bane of Ayaka's existence, Kagurazaka Asuna, completed the group, crossing her arms and looking rather nonchalant, in a simple but elegant ensemble of a light red blouse and a matching skirt.

"Wha-What are you all doing here?" a livid Ayaka aimed an accusing finger at her five classmates.

"He's still new here. He doesn't know the local bus routes yet," Chisame dryly answered.

"And besides, I heard it's dangerous to allow children to wander alone here," Asuna made the vaguest hint of a smirk.

"No, but it's dangerous to allow Kagurazaka Asunas to stalk around these premises!" Ayaka said with a dangerous glint in her eyes.

"Come on, calm down, calm down," Konoka easily asked. "We're all friends here, aren't we?"

"Most of us, yes!" Ayaka kept her angry glare fixed on her rival.

"No discussion there" Asuna nodded. "Let's see, one, two, three, four, five, six and seven," she counted herself, Konoka, Sakurako, Arika, Negi, Chisame and Satomi. "Yep, a clear majority."

Hakase finally looked at Ayaka when the sounds of heavy fighting had started. "Oh, hello, Iinchou-san! You do have some rather scarce species around here. I even collected some samples of the nearly extinct hunchbacked rhinoceros beetle of striped wings. Iinchou-san? Why are you fighting Asuna-san?"

"IF YOU AREN'T MY FRIEND, I DON'T KNOW WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE!" the heiress said as she attempted her best to land a kick on Asuna.

"BELIEVE ME, NEITHER DO I!" Asuna kept on dodging her, similarly failing at landing a punch on her face.

"Stop it, you two, please!" Negi flailed his arms around, trying to keep them apart from each other.

"Asuna! Asuna! Remember your promise!" Konoka also tried to interfere.

"This behavior is quite unbecoming young ladies..." Arika recited the old standby of a disciplinary line with as little conviction as possible, suppressing a smile over witnessing, once again, the exuberant friendship of Minako's daughter and her-

"I have the feeling this is going to end up becoming a live action game of Clue," Chisame moaned.

"Colonel Mustard, with the knife, at the library!" Sakurako giggled. "I bet you forty on that!"

"Should I bring the crowbar to pry them apart?" the tallest of the maids who stood behind Ayaka asked, in an extremely dry tone.

"Cisneros-san, you know that's the absolute last resource!" Fubuki-san scolded her.

"Ohh, ho ho ho!" rang an eerily identical facsimile of Ayaka's Ojou laugh, from the top of the mansion's entrance stairs. Negi followed the source of the sound with his gaze, to find himself looking at a woman, who struck a remarkably similar appearance to Ayaka, only much bustier and wider on the hips. She wore an elegant, yet somewhat skimpy for her age and position, dark red dress with deep cleavage, and a pearl necklace. "Why,welcome, Asuna-chan, Arika-sensei, and everyone! Oh! And you must be the famous Negi Springfield!" she smiled at the boy. "Pleased to meet you, Sensei! Ayaka-chan has told me so much about you..."

Asuna and Ayaka quickly disentangled from each other and pulled back, assuming matching stiff standing positions. "Ah, good morning, Yukihiro-san," Asuna uncomfortably greeted.

As Chisame blinked, voiceless, Fubuki gestured towards the sensual lady, with the utmost respect. "For all those not in the know, you stand in the presence of Yukihiro Minako-sama, mistress of the Manor and honorable mother of Ayaka Ojou-sama."

"Good morning, Minako," Arika said, with as little good humor as that Asuna would normally show Ayaka.

"Yukihiro-sama. It's a real honor," Negi fell to a knee before the woman as she gracefully walked down the stairs.

"You're overdoing it a bit, brat," Asuna muttered to him under her breath.

"Yes, you are. Please stand up, Sensei," Minako-sama gently allowed as she stopped right behind him. "No child of Arika-sensei should ever kneel before me." And then she abruptly caught Arika, who scowled viciously, in a truly bone crunching tight hug, while she squealed and pink hearts fluttered around her. "Oooohhh, Arika-sensei! You hadn't visited us in so, so, so long...!"

"... you knew each other?" Satomi quite unnecessarily asked.

"... I know a lot of people, both good and bad," Arika hissed out a corner of her mouth as she twitched in Minako's forceful embrace.

* * *

"YAHOO!" Asuna laughed as she threw her blouse, the final piece left remaining of her outer clothes, aside and gave a very high jump up to fall into the mansion's gigantic pool with a splash, now reduced to a bright pink one piece.

"Here we go!" Konoka followed suit seconds afterward, now clad in nothing but a dark blue school swimsuit.

"It's party time!" Sakurako joined in, wearing a rather skimpy orange bikini with polka dot dark red spots.

The three girls began to swim around and playfully splash each other as Chisame calmly removed her pants down and stood in a simple dark purple one piece, shaking her head. "Honestly, you guys... The nerve of you..."

"Oh, come on, Chisame-chan!" Sakurako splashed in her direction. "As if you're any better! You brought a swimsuit, too!"

"You all but forced us to!" the hacker snapped back.

Arika, who had just sat on a beach chair near the pool's edge, in a modest white one piece that still complimented her shapely and fit figure perfectly, nodded sparsely. "Yes, but if my suspicions are correct, the original idea came from whoever conceived this visit in the first place..."

Sitting on the next chair in a scandalous black string bikini, which she liked calling a 'Venus', Minako fluttered her eyelashes. "What is the point of owning a pool if you will not share it in a sunny day?"

"Showing it off, do you mean?" asked Arika.

"Nonsense, if I had wanted showing off, I'd have invited you the beach house," Minako replied, making a point of thrusting her buxom chest towards Arika as she offered her a bottle of suntan lotion. "Sensei, would you be a dear and rub it off on me?"

Arika sighed. "Turn around..."

Satomi was now in a light blue two piece made of short shorts and a brief sleeveless top which showed her navel area. She sat down next to the pool, barely dipping her feet in. Slowly, the genius sighed, feeling terribly bored already. After the discoveries at the front yard, the rest of the manor offered no excitement to her. She started to envy Chachamaru, who had gotten to stay at home under the pretenses of cleaning the apartment and then looking after the cats.

Then the scientist felt someone's gaze sharply fixed on her. She looked up to see Sakurako floating right before her, eyeing her like a mischievously crocodile stalking a prey.

"Is-Is there something wrong?" Hakase couldn't help but feeling slightly wary for some reason.

"Of course there is!" the cheerleader protested. "You aren't in here with us, silly!"

"I'm... not a good swimmer," Satomi averted her glare. "You know I have to struggle with it at classes."

"All the more reason for you to practice now, then!" Konoka pointed out.

"Yeah, Prof," Asun nodded. "Loose down just for once. It'll do you good!"

"I'm not sure..."

"Oh, for the love of—!" Sakurako grabbed her by an ankle and pulled her into the water with herself, gaining a brief shriek from Hakase. "You gotta stop overthinking everything!"

"Kya! No!" Hakase waved her hands around, struggling to break free and return to dry land, but the (even if only marginally) stronger cheerleader wouldn't have anything of it.

Minako smiled placidly as she watched the two girls' interplay, her beautiful blue eyes dreamily half closed. "Ah, the wonders of youth, Sensei. Don't they remind you of two other youngsters, years ago, during their innocent childhood experimentations?"

Arika, who was rubbing the lotion all over Minako's smooth back while crossing her own legs awkwardly and thinking of Nagi, barely resisted the urge to jam two fingers down and into Minako's asscrack.

Negi, in the meanwhile, was walking out of the dressing room for men, in sandals and boxers, shirtless, and smiled warmly at seeing his students playing amongst themselves. However, he still remained as quiet as he could before any of them thought about dragging him into the... water...

Then he felt the door of the other dressing room behind him being opened, and he looked back with a gentle grin. "Ah, Iinchou-san! Thank you very much for... for..."

Wearing an elegant but pretty revealing white biniki, her pale feet bare, her gold hair waving loose behind her at each step, the Class Rep looked down at the suddenly silent boy. "Yes, Sensei?" she sweetly asked.

"No, nothing!" he hurried to complete the sentence, wondering what had just happened to himself. "Just wanted to give you our thanks for your hospitality!"

"Oh, it's my pleasure!" the vision of beauty laughed it off. "It's the least I can do for you!"

"Hey, Iinchou!" Asuna called out from the water. "Wanna go for a race?"

"No, thanks!" the heiress huffed. "There's no way I ever could beat a kappa monster at its element!"

Asuna seemed offended for a moment, but she let it to slide.

"Leave the children to their games, Sensei," Ayaka said as she lured him away until they both took chairs around a large beach table with a colorful umbrella on top. "Truly, they are so immature for their age... while you are so mature for yours," she lovingly sighed.

"Oh, no, not at all," he denied.

"And so modest, as well!" she cooed. "Do you want more cookies?" she grabbed a bowl of them that was at the other side of the table and offered it to him. "I made them myself!"

"No, you didn't," Minako said from her chair. "Give Siesta-san her credit where it's due."

"Mother...!"

"Relationships built on lies won't last," Minako sagely adviced.

Ayaka blushed intensely. "What, what in the world are you trying to say with that?! What are you implying?!"

"She knows you far too well..." Asuna snarked with a sly grin.

"Relationships built on lies won't last," Arika faintly echoed, taking her hand off Minako's back, and for a short moment, the wealthy woman flinched at the weight of her own words.

Then she sat up and spoke just low enough for only Arika to hear her. "I'd like having a few words in private," she said, in a tone devoid of her previous flighty bubblishness.

"On that, I agree," Arika replied in the same tone. Seeing how Ayaka and Negi were chattering amongst themselves, and Asuna, Konoka and Sakurako were distracted by pulling Chisame and Satomi across the pool, they both stood up unnoticed. "Lead the way, then. The room of your choice."

Minako nodded solemnly, and to Arika's only mild surprise, she took her in silence to the bedroom filled with toys. "You are so fortunate," Minako quietly mused aloud then. "Despite everything, you have gotten to see... both of your children to grow. It still hurts, Arika-chan. It still hurts. No matter how much I smile."

Arika said nothing, only spreading her arms open, and then welcoming the other woman into them. When Minako began weeping, Arika closed her eyes and still said nothing. But she never let her go.

"I'm sorry," Minako finally said.

"So am I," Arika accepted the fact.

"I'd have really loved it, more than anything, if we could have made it work."

"It might have been nice," Arika allowed.

"But of course, you always loved Nagi-kun more."

"Yes. More than anything or anyone."

"But... But he isn't here anymore, and..."

"Your husband is. And until I see his dead body, I will never accept Nagi is dead. I'm sorry, Minako. But I'll never give up."

The other woman pressed her fists against Arika's chest and sobbed again. "Neither will I."

Arika really wanted to protest and release her from her embrace. But she did not.

She tried to tell herself it only was because of the date, and managed to partially convince herself.

* * *

"Chisame-chan isn't much like Airi-chan at all, is she?" Minako had asked as they sat together on the bed filled with toys, just holding hands while looking out the window.

"Actually, in her own way, she is," Arika told her. "She has a lot of Airi's impatience, and her difficulty to connect with others. She also likes cosplaying."

"Oh, really?" the rich woman asked, growing interested.

Arika took a finger to her own lips. "Don't even think of teasing her about it. I promised I wouldn't tell anyone."

"And yet you told me..." Minako squeezed her hand and smirked in that small impish way she wouldn't show anyone else.

"You barely count as 'anyone'," Arika retorted.

Minako actually pouted, another thing she wouldn't ever do before anyone else. "Why can you get away with calling someone as wonderful as me a nobody?"

"Because I'm a princess."

"Technically, a queen by now, isn't that right?" she asked, lightly toying with Arika's hair using her free hand.

"A queen without a kingdom can't be called by such a title."

"Your kingdom is right here," Minako blew in her ear, "Whenever you wish to claim it."

"Not today. I'm sorry," Arika replied, standing up. Ignoring the wounded look in Minako's eyes, she added, "The children must be curious about us by now. And I wouldn't want them getting a wrong idea..."

"Of course you wouldn't," Minako swallowed back the knot in her throat as she followed her example. Then, after a moment, she said, "It seems Ayaka-chan really likes Negi a lot."

"Keeping it at 'liking' is your duty, not mine," Arika replied.

"I'm not sure if I want to do that..."

Arika's eyes became downright fierce as they nailed themselves on the other woman. "Don't even think about it. We all agreed on it, back then. My father's insane dreams must never be realized."

"Arika-chan," Minako said. "The child who died in a day like this, my child, had he been from a pure bloodline-"

"There's no such thing as a 'pure' bloodline, Minako!" Arika growled. "And even if there was, it wouldn't bring your son back!"

"I know!" Minako bit on her lower lip, struggling against the tears again. "But it'd never have to happen again, not if-!"

"No!" Arika barked. "That way lies madness, and I won't hear a single more word on it!" she remarked, waving a finger. "In the name of all that is sacred, in the name of your daughter's happiness, abandon those thoughts, if you still call yourself my friend. Long ago, I learned of my father's folly, but only through paying too high a price. I don't want you or Ayaka having to pay a similar one to realize it. And that's all I'll ever say on it!"

"Then," Minako coldly remarked, "why is Negi cohabiting with Airi's daughter?"

Arika lowered her accusing finger, her face tightening.

A long silence reigned between the women.

Minako smiled sadly. "No wonder Nagi-kun loved you best. Despite the appearances, you're both the same, in how stupid you can be through your cleverness."

"I trust Chisame, she isn't like we were, and not like your daughter either-"

The sad smile remained. "Uh-huh. Whatever you say, Princess. Now just kiss me one more time. Before we have to go."

Arika gave her what she wanted.

* * *

Over the next few days, Arika wouldn't stop thinking about Minako's words, much to her discomfort.

Had she really erred when she allowed Negi in Mahora, just because of her eagerness to see him again? As his mother, she had every right to nullify Konoemon's agreement with the Magus, and then she had every right to relocate him with anyone but Airi's daughter. She had done such a thing, after all, about Konoemon's idea of having Negi room with his granddaughter and Asuna. Despite Asuna's preferences for older gentlemen, Arika had not wanted to risk any attraction ever developing between the two of them.

She had believed Airi's daughter was a much safer bet in that regard. Chisame was emotionally distant and highly reluctant to ever do anything that would be perceived as abnormal, and besides, she wasn't _her_ daughter. And she lacked the borderline pedophilic inclinations of Minako's daughter.

But what if that, too, had been a mistake?

She had been thinking about that while going through a few of the reports Minamoto had sent her when Negi appeared at her doorstep once more, now with a kimono-clad Konoka in tow.

"Can you, can you hide us for a while?" Negi panted, hands on his knees.

"Negi," Arika began to ask, "why did you interrupt one of Konoe-san's omiai? Don't you know her grandfather will take it as a personal offense?"

"Actually, I had fled the omiai before Negi-kun found me," Konoka said. "Don't blame him, please...!"

Arika looked at her, evenly. "And why did you abandon that duty to your family, then?"

"It was a really icky guy!" Konoka made a face. "I couldn't stand him anymore! He tried to kiss me!"

Arika's face matched Konoka's. "He did? I suppose, in that event, I can't blame you. How old was he?"

"Twenty eight, he claimed, but most men at twenty eight don't wear a blatantly fake wig," Konoka replied.

"Ah, the follies of men reassuring themselves about their age," Arika mused sadly. "In that case, why didn't you go directly to your grandfather? He would have understood."

Konoka gave her a quietly jaded glare.

"No, he would have," Arika insisted. "So, let me guess, you ran into Negi in your way back from the omiai..."

"While he was fleeing the crowd, yeah," nodded Konoka.

Arika blinked. "Why was he being chased by a crowd?"

"The girls seem to think I'm a prince from an European country, or part of the Britannian Royal Family, I don't know!" Negi whined. "I have no idea why, either! I don't want to stop to ask them, because I know they won't even give me a chance!"

"A prince," Arika sat back, with a hand on her mouth. "Now, I wonder what could have possibly given them that idea?"

Negi only could shrug his shoulders.

"No matter the reason," Konoka cautioned, "won't they come here very soon, if they're really looking for you that hard, Negi-kun?"

"I know, but what else could I do? They'll look at Chisame-san's room before anywhere else, and Takamichi is out of town!" Negi began pacing back and forth, agitated. "I'm so sorry to have dragged you into this, Konoe-san..."

"Please, Negi-kun, just call me Konoka," she requested. "Or Kono-chan, even!" Then she looked at Arika. "But he isn't actually a Prince, is he?"

"Would a Prince have to live in a stranger's room, on foreign soil, living on a teacher's salary?" Arika asked back.

"Forgive me, Sensei, but that doesn't answer my question," Konoka, who was much sharper than she let on, pointed out.

"Of course I'm not a prince, Konoe-sorry-Konoka-san!" Negi breathed in an agitated way. "They must have misinterpreted something! But that doesn't matter right now!"

"Doesn't it?" Konoka wondered. "If we knew **what** they thought they heard, we'd know **how** to set them straight."

Someone knocked at the door.

"Hide in my bedroom," Arika sighed, heading for the front door. "I'll send them away. But don't touch anything. Especially not each other."

"Huh? Why would we touch each other?" Negi asked.

Konoka giggled, pulling him after her through the door Arika was pointing towards. "Oh, Negi-kun, don't ask, you wonderfully naive prince, you!"

"I'm not a-" Negi began saying, before blocking his own mouth with a hand. Then Konoka pulled him into the room with herself, and slammed the door closed.

* * *

They sat side by side on Arika's bed, while they could hear bits and pieces of Arika, in the living room, striking a conversation with Ako, Akira, Makie and Yuuna, the Sports Quartet, who, of course, were asking about Negi's whereabouts, and some clarification on that whole Prince looking for a partner business. What little Konoka could listen apparently was very funny to her, as she kept stifling her giggles. Negi seemed far less amused, twirling his feet against each other and looking down the whole time.

That is, until Konoka grabbed a small portrait on Arika's nightstand and hummed. _"Is this your dad, Negi-kun?"_ she whispered.

He looked at the photo, which had his parents standing together, as Arika held a baby in her arms, her expression solemn and dignified. In contrast, the tall and lean handsome man with her grinned roguishly, winking an eye to the camera and holding a thumb up.

_"Yes,"_ Negi nodded. _"That's... That's the only picture of him we've left by now. Nekane-neechan used to have more, back at home, but, well... our house burned one night, and all were lost."_

_"I'm sorry to hear that,"_ Konoka said, carefully placing the portrait back down. _"Wow, your mother still looks exactly the same, too. And your dad looks just like you but older! You're going to be so pretty when you grow up..."_ she sighed.

He blushed. _"Thank you."_

_"Where is he now, by the way?"_

_"No one knows,"_ he shrugged. _"The day after that picture was taken, he had to go out in a trip, and we never saw him again. Well... I did see him once, that one night, but..."_ He shook his head. _"Never mind. I know he's alive, he has to be, it's just..."_

Konoka waited for the sentence to end, but it didn't. So she wrapped an arm around Negi's shoulders and softly held him against herself. _"I'm sorry to hear that."_

_"No!"_ he hissed. _"You don't have to be sorry, because I told you, he's alive, he's... S-Sorry, my bad. That's why I don't talk too much about that. It brings the worst out of me. You only were trying to be helful, and I've just been so rude with you..."_

_"It's okay. You've had a difficult day,"_ she said, giving him a peck on the forehead. _"And I spoke out of line. I'd have reacted the same way if you had asked about my mom..."_

Negi blinked. _"Whatever happened to your- Oh, right. Sorry. Never mind. Silly me,"_ he gulped.

_"Silly you,"_ she agreed, regardless rubbing his hair fondly. That was when Arika opened the door and walked in on them. Konoka pulled her hand back quickly. "Oops! Sorry! But it wasn't much of a touch!" she softly bopped herself on the head with a fist, poking the tip of her tongue out.

Arika weaved a sigh. "I think it's safe for both of you to head back now. I believe I have cleared up most of the misunderstanding, and Akashi-san promised calling all those involved in your chase and calling it off. Besides, Hasegawa-san just called as well. She is concerned about you, son. And somewhat angry so many have been knocking on her door asking for a date with you over the last few hours."

Negi blushed as brightly as a traffic light.

"Oooo, someone is sleeping in the doghouse tonight...!" Konoka cooed mischievously.

* * *

As they walked back towards the student dormitories, Konoka kept on marching ahead at a happy, steady pace, while Negi followed her in far more of a moody fashion, his hands in his pockets, his head low, and answering to Konoka's attempts to strike conversation with polite monosyllabics. While Konoka was impressed someone could have such a wide gamut of polite answers that weren't even two syllables long, it still ended up frustrating her, so she stopped at one side of the lonely boulevard walk and pouted.

"Negi-kuuun! Why are you so broody anyway?! The girls stopped chasing you around, didn't they? Or is it that you'd prefer that over walking alone with me?!"

"Eh?!" he blinked his shock at the question, which rattled him out of his somber mood almost instantly. "N-No, it's not that! At all! It's just, well, looking at that picture always makes me, ah, nostalgic! Yeah, that's it, nothing else!" he promised.

"Oh," Konoka said. "Well, forgive me then. I really thought you had gotten over it after... Oh, Naba-sama!" she suddenly beamed a smile, looking over Negi's shoulder, making the boy look back and behind himself. "It's been a while! What are you doing here now of all times?"

The well dressed gentleman in black, with long white hair and the air of a real _bon vivant_ about him, who was marching towards them from the opposite side of the boulevard smiled placidly as he approached. "Why, good evening, Konoka-kun! What a pleasant surprise. Out on another omiai, huh? Well, I just arrived to settle a few arrangements with the Kiryuin and Sawagoe Conglomerates, so I decided dropping by and paying Chizuru-chan a visit."

"I see..." the girl nodded. And then, "Oh! Sorry, you're thinking he's my omiai, aren't you? Eh he heh, no, sadly, not... Negi-sensei, this is Naba Kojiro, Chizuru-chan's father. Naba-sama, meet Negi Springfield-sensei, our new homeroom teacher!"

"Oh! Negi" the man said, contentedly shaking Negi's small hand. "I should have known! Chizuru-chan has told me so much about you!"

"It's a honor, Sir!" Negi nodded rapidly. "Chizuru-san is an excellent student, always aiming high in her education! You have a fine, great daughter, Sir!"

"Yes, I do," the older man, who had all the signs of someone who has lived it all and done it all with style, nodded, with a proud, strange light in the eyes behind the glasses. "She has never failed in making me proud."

He seemed a bit too old for the father of someone of Naba-san's age, Negi thought, but then, it wasn't unheard of for older men with wealth to keep siring children well into their twilight years. All in all, he didn't seem all that old either; well past his fifty, certainly, but still brimming with some vibrant energy missing from many a younger man.

He felt like the grandfather Negi always wished he could have had, but never could, with the Magus always being so busy, and Stan so abrasive.

No thunder cracked ominously then, but it might have been just because the gods were not looking after their creation at that exact moment.

* * *

**To be Continued**.


	4. Book Three

Akamatsu Ken and Kodansha created and own _Mahou Sensei Negima!_

* * *

**Your Mother's Gentle Hand.**

**Book Three.**

* * *

A few minor alterations were made to the former Class 2-A's living arrangements when they graduated into Junior High 3-A. Chief amongst them were Ayaka moving in with Makie and Haruna moving in with Ku Fei. That meant Ako was reassigned to room with Akira, something both were perfectly fine with. Not to mention Yuuna, who was positively thrilled at the idea of having a whole room all to herself now. Ku Fei had been less enthusiastic about rooming with Saotome, muttering something about Haruna's family having some bad blood with the Chinese, but she had accepted her regardless. So it all had worked out smoothly enough in the end.

Well, for Arika, at least. The girls had been less fortunate, in that their actual motives behind their moving requests had been left unfulfilled regardless. When, earlier that year, Arika had told them Negi was unlikely to room with three girls at once, the Class Rep and the wily Saotome had tried to shift things around so Negi could end up either with Ayaka and Makie or with Nodoka and Yue, but Arika had quickly seen through the ruse. As did the Headmaster, naturally. Not to mention Negi seemed rather content rooming with Chisame and Hakase, and why to disrupt such a blissful coexistence?

(Chisame, of course, would have been quick to disagree on the subject, had anyone asked her on it. But obviously, no one did.)

The proud Class 3-A, naturally, had been left untouched in terms of its student lineup or choice of homeroom educator. Not only because, despite their frequent protestations on the contrary, they for the most part really liked each other, but because nobody else in the school liked them (other than all those fanboys and fangirls Yukihiro, Kakizaki, Karakuri and Sakurazaki had, but then again, could it be said any of them really knew those girls for what they actually were?) So moving any of them into any other classroom would have been simply asking for untold trouble, both from the inside and the outside of the class.

Those were pretty much all the changes that transpired during those days. Well, other than the sudden and very awkwardly timed reapparance of the Sakura Lane vampire.

* * *

"Sir!" Takamichi T. Takahata, who was supposed to be about to leave minutes ago, walked back into the Headmaster's office, looking fairly rattled. Which never was a good sign at all. Takahata had lived through things that would have broken most men and walked away from each still mostly functional and rational, deeply entombed self-worth traumas aside. "Please turn your TV on! There's just been... an interesting development."

* * *

Shinonome Nanami, dark haired, bespectacled Executive Public Relations executive for the Mahora Student Council, left the reunion with Kiryuin-sama and her inner circle fairly late that evening, taking her usual shortcut through the old, cold Cherry Lane. The skies were cloudly, but for once this week, it was not raining. Even so, she hurried down the wide pathway flanked by sakura trees, more out of fear of another rainstorm breaking down quickly again, rather than because of any concerns over her personal safety. She knew no one, not even in Mahora, not even in 3-F, was crazy enough to attack one of Kiryuin-sama's trusty assistants.

Her long smooth hair trailed behind her with her moderate sprint, and she kept her bag firmly pressed against herself, a custom acquired early in life.

At midway, she stopped, believing she had just heard something strange. It had sounded like huge winds flapping in the wind that grew stronger by the moment.

* * *

The lovely looking face framed by carefully combed locks of gold smiled, its green eyes sparkling with refined contentment, all across the TV screens of the whole Area Eleven.

"I, Mina Tepes, am here to inform you, as is my right as duty as ruler of the vampire race, to claim ownership over this island, as the capital of my species from this night on..."

* * *

The strange noise subsided momentarily, but when Nanami started rushing down the path again, it was not only faster, but spurred by an added element.

Fear.

* * *

"You don't need to fear," the tiny blonde in elegant black promised, with a hand on her flat chest, "Our species has learned well from past mistakes, which nearly led to our extinction. We mean you no harm. We come out into the light, not to threaten you, but to extend offerings of peace. We are not here to conquer, but to coexist in harmony and mutual respect."

* * *

The shadow passed right above Nanami's face, bearing the vague shape of a monstruous black bat. By that point, the girl's heart was beating madly, and her face was covered in sweat despite the iciness of the night. She reached for her cellphone, but then the shadow landed right before her, and out of it, a long arm was shot out. A strong hand with long fingernails painted black grabbed her wrist and twisted, making her scream and drop the phone.

* * *

"It has to be some sort of elaborate scam, isn't that correct?" Hakase Satomi said, for Chisame's benefit, as both sat before the TV of their room, sitting closer than ever before. "Even if creatures such as vampires existed, and in that case I'm reasonably sure Sensei would have told us about them, there's no way they would reveal themselves to the world like this..."

"Y-Yeah, it's surely just some kind of sick joke..." Chisame agreed, taking mental notes on that magnificent black dress for her next cosplay session. One way or another, it was due to be all the rage immediately. "What kind of weird supernatural group would place a kid as their leader, anyway...?"

* * *

The tall, buxom, blond woman in skimpy black leather and a cape as long and dark as the night itself trapped Nanami between her arms.

"N-NO! HELP! PLEASE! STOP, I BEG OF YOU! HELP...!"

"Heh heh heh. No one will come, not here, and certainly not at these hours..." the stranger said perversely, closing her mouth in, on Nanami's pale neck.

* * *

Negi, Nitta-sensei and Fujimura Taiga-sensei watched, flabbergasted, their own large TV set in the temporary safety of the main hub of teacher offices, where they had been working after hours. Until Akashi Wataru-sensei had rushed in bearing urgent news and prompting them to turn on the news.

"This, this can't possibly be happening..." Nitta said weakly. "It's just plain too absurd to be true..."

"N-No, no way at all..." Taiga gulped despite herseld. Was this one of the signs of the end of the times Negi had talked about? Shit, he had been serious after all, hadn't he?

_Finally, she has made her move. Sooner than we expected, too_, Akashi grimly considered. _And so, now we will have to act quickly or..._

But damnation, she was **so cute! **Yuuka would have been all over her, no doubt...

* * *

Sharp fangs pierced through Nanami's skin, and then the painful sensation of being draned began, as the thick red elixir of life was strongly pulled out through twin holes that were too small. The girl shrieked powerlessly, and tears flooded her eyes, her whole body and mind assaulted by panic and despair.

At least, until she began feeling woozy and silent, which happened fairly soon, and yet it felt like it had taken an eternity.

The numbness and the darkness slowly pushed her down into a blissful, serene relief without dreams. So she couldn't hear the triumphant laugh of her attacker.

* * *

All those events were fairly important in their own way, obviously, but for Arika herself, that particular chapter of her life actually only began during one of those instances that would become much frequent later on, where the collective Class 3-A were reduced to their underwear. At this point in the history of such occurrences, however, Negi was not with them at the time. He instead stood outside of the nurse office where they were being examined in their health checkups for the start of the new school term. And he knew better than not to try and peek in.

"So, what do you think about last night's announcement? The one with the vampire girl?" asked Asuna as the blond, blue eyed school nurse Kitami Reika carefully took her measurements, with cold and silent efficiency.

Arika, standing close to the group with her arms folded, kept a watchful eye on Kitami as the other blonde worked in an efficient silence. While they always been unerringly polite to each other, very shortly after meeting it had grown crystal clear to everybody, themselves included, they simply disliked and distrusted each other. Arika wished she could tell why. She was sure there was a good reason, her instincts rarely if ever were in the wrong, and yet she couldn't tell exactly why she felt that way.

It was a very bothersome sensation which only added to her general discomfort around Kitami. She'd even prefer for Mikado Ryoko to fill the office instead, but Konoe-sensei had assigned her to teach Biology. That was yet another decision of his Arika couldn't help but hold in permanent if unspoken contempt.

"What's there to think about it?" asked Misa, standing slightly behind as the next in line. "It's obvious it's some sort of publicity stunt."

"Yeah, maybe they're going to set some sort of amusement park at that Bund island," agreed her partner in cheerleading Kugimiya Madoka. "I think I'll be going as soon as they open it for the public. Sounds like a wicked cool place."

"Eeeehhh!? Aren't you afraid in the slightest it might be true?" whined Makie.

"Nah, what kind of dangerous vampire queen would be a cute Lolita who shows up in TV giving press conferences? I mean, seriously," Misa shook her head, stepping ahead and lifting her arms now it was her turn. "Besides, it that crap were real, don't you think they'd have revealed themselves long ago?"

"Perhaps it wasn't their due time," Kitami commented, calmly taking measures of Misa's decent bustline. "Patience is a virtue even the mightiest have to follow, if they are wise."

"Sensei!" Shiina Sakurako said. "Don't tell us you believe in the supernatural!"

"Yes, I do," Reika nodded, now listening to Misa's heart rate. "I have seen things."

"Such as?" asked Haruna in a suspicious tone.

"Maybe I'll tell you, someday, if you're ready by then," the blonde smiled, sharply. "As I said, patience."

"She got you there, Haruna," commented Yue.

Chisame hummed to herself, looking rather troubled, with her arms folded as well. If mages, charmed books and gender-changing lagoons existed, after all, the existence of vampires was not such a huge next logical step. When she and Hakase had asked Negi on the matter, he'd uneasily dodged around the issue, and now they couldn't grill him again as long as the others were around, but as soon as she could get her chance...

Standing right outside, in the otherwise empty hall, Negi rubbed his nose. The images from last night just wouldn't leave his mind no matter what. Those developments could be very problematic for the safekeeping of the mages' own secrecy, and mostly, for his students' safety. Exactly how much would Mina Tepes end up revealing? Was she planning to expose them after finishing exposing her own species? If so, should they directly oppose her, to quickly shut her down before she threw the whole world of the supernatural off-balance, or establish a dialogue with her first? He was aware it wasn't up to him to take either option, but he still felt like he had a stake on it. So to speak.

He supposed his higher ups had discussed such things with the Queen of Vampires before last night's surprise TV broadcast all over the country and most of the rest of the world, but then why hadn't he been informed at all beforehand? Even if he was only a lowly apprentice, surely such things were supposed to be coordinated on all levels, even his, weren't they?

He hated it so much, feeling so useless, so irrelevant, so-

His thoughts were interrupted when he felt a dark, crushing, incredibly melancholic aura coming down the hall, and then, sure enough, Itoshiki Nozomu-sensei, pale and cadaveric as always, wearing his usual outdated hakama and sandals, besides his glasses, was walking towards him. "Negi-sensei!" the young man cried out. "I bring terrible, despairing news! Please come with me to the sick bay. One of our students was found brutally attacked one hour ago!"

Negi tensed in alarm. "Ehh, what?! Who?! Where?! How-"

The doors of the office were tossed open, and out stepped Asuna, Haruna, Asakura and Ayaka, still in their undergarments. "Oh God, I knew it!" Asuna shouted. "There's some sort of vampire, chupacabras or another weird killer beast on the loose, isn't it!"

"Is it anyone we know?" asked Ayaka, concerned.

"GAHHHHH!" Itoshiki quickly pulled back while Negi gasped aloud, the frail looking man hiding his own face behind one of his wide sleeves. "What are you thinking, going out like that?! Negi-sensei, what sort of values are you teaching them?! I'M IN DESPAIR! TODAY'S YOUTH AND THEIR LACK OF SHAME HAVE LEFT ME IN DESPAIR!"

Standing at the very back of the group with Karakuri Chachamaru at her side, Evangeline A.K. Mc Dowell smirked to herself.

And Arika angrily scowled at her. Which, if anything, only made that awful woman to smirk even more.

Kitami Reika neither scowled nor smirked. But her expression still definitely showed some clear interest.

* * *

When Negi and Itoshiki made it into the medical bay, Assistant Nurse Sagisawa Yohko warned them before leading them into the struck girl's room, "The Student Council President is with her right now, and she is a bit... excitable, so please don't mention anything about responsibilities on this subject to her. She's likely to start blaming you or herself, but either way, she could do it... harshly."

Negi nodded. "We understand."

"Sensei, before you go," Itoshiki gently stopped the beautiful dark haired woman before she could walk away, "About those medications..."

"No, I won't prescribe you any toxins, and yes, you do have to keep taking your antidepressives," she sternly told him. Then, far more kindly, to Negi, "Watch over him as long as we aren't around, will you, Sensei?"

Negi nodded again. "Of course I will!"

After she walked out of sight, Itoshiki muttered as he followed Negi in. "This is despairing! I've been reduced to a load for all around me. No doubt everyone would be far better off if I just-"

"Shhh," Negi imposed him silence with a subtle gesture, as they saw an also beautiful (it seemed the Area Eleven was unable to breed ugly females, all things considered) and tall, well built young woman with very long black hair and thick eyebrows, wearing a special all white version of the Mahora High female uniform, with shiny golden buttons and boots with quite high heels. She sat in silence next to the sleeping Shinonome Nanami, holding one of her limp hands, until she quickly realized she was being watched, upon which she carefully left the hand at the sickly girl's side and stood up with strict aplomb and even cold haughtiness.

"Kiryuin-sama," Itoshiki dryly said, "You can be certain we will do our best to capture those responsible..."

"You better will," she said, with a voice that was pure iron. "And so will we, no matter what." Without a single more word, she briskly walked past Negi without even looking at him, and disappeared from sight.

Itoshiki shuddered. "Such... intensity."

"Indeed," Negi said, faintly impressed for a moment. Then he reassumed a cold efficiency as he took the chair beside the girl's bed, checking on her pulse and other life signs. No shy doubts or boyish awkwardness in his behavior this time. Things right now were far too serious and dire for that. After humming analytically to himself, he pulled off the bandages around the victim's neck and exposed the twin small marks on her skin. "Just as I feared. At the worst possible moment, too. If this isn't an isolated incident, and the truth about this gets out, the students might even riot..."

"Quite true," Itoshiki pondered, even more darkly. "Especially now that young woman will be studying at your class."

Negi curiously looked back at him. "Which young woman, Itoshiki-sensei?"

The older male blinked. "Hasn't the Headmaster told you yet?"

Negi's brain began blaring powerful signals of alarm. "No. No, he hasn't. What's her name?"

So Itoshiki had to tell him.

* * *

"It's very bold, even from you," Arika said, sitting at the other end of the living room in Evangeline A.K. Mc Dowell's cottage in the depths of the mountain woods. "Attacking again now of all times, so soon after the arrival of Nagi's son, and choosing Shinonome-san, as well. What do you intend to achieve from this?"

"Didn't the old man have anyone better to send my way?" asked the tiny blonde in the black flimsy neglige, lazily resting her chin on a fist, one bare leg thrown over her couch's armrest, which clearly exposed a black-thong-only-covered part of her anatomy to Arika's view. "Or is his idea of baiting me sending Nagi's hoyden my way?"

"It isn't any easier for me than it is for you," Arika said, refusing to take Eva's own bait, much like she had rejected the tea Karakuri Chachamaru, in her French maid uniform, had just brought for her. "Heavens know I find his ways upsettling often, myself."

"It must be difficult, being the lapdog of someone you don't sympathize with," Evangeline nodded, in what truly was a sincere mixture of empathy and despise, as Arika knew well. "Since it's such an obvious and sloppy course of action, what makes you so sure I'm responsible? You have another vampire in this campus. Go ask Akashiya."

"You aren't and shouldn't ever be the jesting type. It doesn't suit you," Arika dryly told her.

"Fair enough, I suppose. How about a third party? The Vampire Lords are in an unrest as of late, since the princess' announcement. I wouldn't put something like that above them, resorting to desperate gambits to turn public opinion against Tepes' people."

"You are remarkably well informed for a recluse. Who are your spies?"

"Spies? Bitch please, I have Maginet," Eva sneered. "You don't even know how to turn a computer on yet, do you? Absolutely disgusting! Why don't you ask for your daughters-in-law's help with that?"

Arika smiled. "Unlike others, I have never needed to keep others as my underlings or assistants. That's part of why I escaped the palace."

"That, and the whole part about being caged like an animal."

"Since my jailers were my former underlings and assistants, my point still stands," Arika stated, a pointer finger held up.

Evangeline actually laughed at that. "That's the only thing I like about you, Arika Entheofushia. Your prison humor is always welcome by a prisoner. As for my hand in this attack, I will not confirm or deny anything. The facts will do that themselves. I believe in actions over words, and frankly, yours, other than your prison memories, bore me, so you are free to take your leave."

"Evangeline," Arika said as she stood up. "The moment you touch a single hair on my son's head, that'll be the moment this will become personal between us."

"Looking forward to it, then," Eva licked her pink lips, with a savage gleam in her emerald eyes. "May the best woman win."

"Again," Arika matched that gleam with her own.

Slowly, Evangeline's smile became a vicious scowl, but she said nothing as Chachamaru opened the front door for the visitor and Arika stepped out, back into the full moon night.

After all, Evangeline had really meant it when she had compared actions to words.

* * *

"Thanks for your time," Arika-sensei said, starting the next interview in her itinerary for the night. "Now, I hope you realize this is only a routine questioning, necessary in the wake of such an event. Your report files are all clean, and you have nothing to gain and everything to lose from attacking a member of the Student Council..."

The beautiful, pink haired girl who sat opposite her in the small apartment in the last floor of the female student residence sniffled loudly, her face like that of a child about to burst into tears. "Th-Thank you, that's so kind from you..."

Arika inhaled, taking another good look at the young woman, and specially the black choker around her neck, which had a rosario attached to it through a short silver chain. "No one has touched it recently, right?"

"N-Not for more than a whole year, after I arrived here..."

"Have you experienced any lapses in your memory lately? Or periods plagued by troubling sleep, strange nightmares, bizarre dreams?"

The girl shook her head. "I've slept like a log lately. And I can't remember ever forgetting any important span of time... then again, I wouldn't remember it if I had forgotten, right? B-But I think I remember everything, I mean, perhaps I won't remember the details like how many steps I've given in each stroll, and how many times I had to brush my hair over the last week, but-"

Arika nodded, taking a few notes. "I understand," she softly interrupted, because the girl was getting in her nerves. "What is your degree of familiarity with Shinomome-san?"

"Umm... none? That is, I knew who she was, that is, who she is, but I don't think we ever crossed any words. The impression I got was she always was, is, that is, good at her job, and I have no idea why anyone would hurt her, and-"

"Bite here, please," Arika requested, extending a small padded patch for the girl to chomp into, which she did after a moment of hesitation.

"Is it a match?" the pink haired female asked as Arika eyed the bite marks carefully.

Arika said nothing, but shook her head all the same. "Of course, you still could have used an age changing pill before striking."

"I thought you had said I wasn't an actual possibility-!"

"How is your younger sister, Akashiya-san?" asked Arika.

Akashiya Moka gulped. "I... I don't know. At home with Father, I suppose? She... She never calls me. I, I believe she might have something against me..." she sadly said.

"I wonder why," Arika dryly noted, standing up from Moka's couch. "We'll remain in contact. In the meanwhile, for your own wellbeing and others', you are forbidden from stepping out of campus grounds by orders of the Headmaster until further notice. Please have a good and quiet night at home."

Moka blinked repeteadly. "My other sisters?"

"What about them?"

"Aren't you going to ask about them?"

"No. Someone else is handling that angle," Arika denied, calmly heading for Akashiya's door. "If you happen to receive further news on this subject, please contact the Headmaster's office accordingly. You know the number."

"W-What if it's by night, after his work hours?"

"Then call me. I know you have my number as well."

And she was gone.

Akashiya Moka sat alone for several moments afterwards, humming and trying to remember. She then pulled a black and pink notebook from under one of the couch's cushions and flipped through it quickly. And she bit on her tongue. "Oi, must've forgotten to write down that time..."

She ran out through the door, hoping to catch up to her. "Sensei, wait, pleaseeeee!"

* * *

Walking through Sakura Lane back from the students' residence, Arika silently pondered the results of her recent evaluations. Naturally, she knew the culprit's identity all too well by now, if it hadn't been obvious enough already from the moment she learned on the attack. Still, she felt fairly confident on walking alone through the night with that knowledge. She did not think Mc Dowell would dare acting against her yet. It would mean too fast and brisk of an escalation against the staff's authority and forces, and Mc Dowell was smarter than that, no matter how much Arika despised her.

Then again, often cleverness hinges on being unpredictable, and on doing what would seem foolish at first glance.

Arika stopped as soon as she reached the intersection that would take her to the faculty's residential area. There, she found Asuna of all people, with a coat over her clothes and a red and black striped scarf wrapped around her neck. The girl stood under a lamppost, with her fists cocked on her hips. "It was about time, Sensei! I was about to go home! So, why did you want to see me here?"

"What?" Arika asked. "Kagurazaka-san, what are you saying? I never told you anything about meeting you here!"

"Of course you did!" Asuna protested, holding her cellphone up. "Don'tcha remember? After I left my Art Classes, you called me and told me to wait for you here, that it was very important and it couldn't wait until tomorrow."

"I never did that!" Arika exclaimed. "Oh Gods. Karakuri."

"What does Chachamaru have to do with this?" asked Asuna.

Arika remembered Hakase-san more than once telling her about many of the applications she had installed into Chachamaru. Self cooling devices. Extra Turbo flight boosters. Advanced locking and aiming systems. Personal cold and heat processors able of the finest precise readings. A nearly flawless mechanism of analysis, recording and duplication of voices.

The cold breeze cracked with the sound of bitter, grim laughter, and the flapping of wings.

"You dared warning me against ever touching your son, Arika Entheofushia..."

Arika and Asuna looked up, at the dark cloaked figure surrounded by a mass of shrieking black bats, suspended high in the air above them. "What in the world...!" Asuna breathed.

"Duck!" Arika pulled the redhead down with herself, rolling away from the sudden discharge of ice flechettes from the sky.

"- but you failed to mention anything about **this** child!" cackled the shadow in the heights, plummeting down to face them directly.

"Evangeline!?" Asuna asked as the small figure cloaked in darkness tossed her pointy hat aside. "Aren't you too little to be doing wire-fu from that high? The Movie Club has a lot to answer for...!"

The triumphant smirk disappeared from Evangeline's face. "Do you think that was a trick, Kagurazaka Asuna? It was naught but a diminutive sample of my real power! Tremble and cower before the unleashed might of Evangeline Anasthasia Katherine Mc Dowell, the one true Queen of the Night!" she cackled.

"Oh, I get it. They convinced you, because you're a fan of that wacky vampire show all Wednesdays, like Chisame's little sister," Asuna said. "That's just mean, taking advantage of a kid like that!"

Evangeline opened her mouth, fangs bared, as wide as it would go, before just deflating in a bitter sigh and asking Arika, "Would you just talk her out of her delusions?"

"Hey, you aren't the one to talk about delusions," Asuna muttered.

"She's not delusional," Arika dryly said. "She actually is a centuries old, perverse, immoral vampire, a cruel enemy of Negi's father, and all around rotten bitch."

Evangeline regained her smile. "Much better! Oh, when you want to, you can be a real flatterer, Arika-sensei!"

"Um, alright," Asuna decided to play along. "So, you're out to drink my blood tonight?"

"Basically," Evangeline nodded.

"But why mine?! I mean, I'm sort of flattered you thought I looked tasty, although I really don't swing that way, but c'mon, class pride! You should be attacking, I don't know, 3-F first! For shame, Eva-chan, for shame..."

"Incest," Evangeline mumbled, "is a real bane upon human genetics."

Arika frown grew deeper.

"What was that?" Asuna asked. "Something about a test for telekinetics?"

"I think she mentioned something about genetics..." Akashiya Moka said, standing behind Arika and Asuna.

"Genetics? What do genetics have to do with any of- AHHH!" Asuna almost jumped out of her skin. "You were there!"

"Just arrived, but yes, I am now," Moka nodded, then asked Arika, "Sorry, Sensei, but I don't have your number after all. Would you mind telling me so I can- Oops, forgot my pen. Could you wait here until I run back home and then back here so we can-?"

"AAARRRGGGHHH!" Evangeline roared, making Moka leap to hide behind Arika. "You're adopted, aren't you?! I refuse accepting Shuzen might have spawned anything like you! He's sure to thank me over this!" she said, lunging ahead surrounded by a thick aura of swirling darkness.

"AAAAIIIIIIIEEEEE!" Moka shrieked, hugging tightly onto Arika from behind, stopping the teacher from tossing herself into Evangeline's way...

... so it was Asuna who did it instead, kicking Evangeline in the chin and sending her flying a few feet up.

Things sort of snowballed downhill from there.

* * *

However, much to her chagrin, Arika was unable to get herself involved into much of what would transpire between Negi and Evangeline afterwards. As a matter of fact, the nature of Eva's attacks on her son and his students, and Negi's stubborn unwillingness to endanger his mother or anyone else unless absolutely necessary meant that, during the next few days and their limited chance window, the former Queen sadly missed almost any chance at all to be of any help to her child.

Of course, she still made sure of learning the full truth on what had happened from Nozomu shortly after. And realizing Negi had managed it off without her assistance only made her even prouder of him than before.

Even if that still didn't lessen her frustration and exasperation at his selfless risk taking to any degree, either.

* * *

"MEA VIRGA!" Evangeline heard, rising above the concerned shouts of her classmates.

And she felt herself grabbed by a wrist and pulled up, quickly gaining height as she opened her eyes again. She looked into the boy's bright eyes, and felt her heart skipping a bit. "What...?"

"Evangeline-san!" he said. "Are you okay?"

Her mouth moved angrily. "Wh-Why have you saved me!? I could have killed you! What kind of imbecile are you!?" She tightened her hands against her bare chest.

"You're my student, Evangeline-san," he warmly said, pulling the still wet magical staff further down towards the bridge. "I don't need any other reason."

She bit her lower lip, turning her head aside. "What a cretin."

As they landed, he softly put her down, while Itoshiki offered her his hakama shirt to cover herself up. She accepted it with a grunt, hastily pulling it around her torso. Chisame ran to Negi's side, eyes welled up in tears, hitting his head with a fist. "You stupid idiot!" Then she hugged him, pressing him against herself. "What if you had died?! We'd have been in despair! Your death would have left us in despair!"

"And those are my catchphrases," Nozomu humbly said, being as ignored as usual.

"We did it...?" Misora was groggily saying, coming back to her feet aided by Cocone and approaching them. "Wait. We really are alive? We did it for real? Hell, yeah! We beat the Dark Evangel! We're The Man! We're The Man!"

_"Baka,"_ Cocone whispered.

Chachamaru was coming back online as Hakase finished pulling pieces of needles out of her eyes. "Master... Sorry. I..." her voice faltered. "Failed you again..."

"Hush. Hush, please," Satomi told her maternally. "Nothing of this is your fault..."

"You did great, Negi-kun," Misa rubbed his hair and winked an eye at him.

"Indeed," Itoshiki pushed his glasses up his nose before pulling his wooden ruler out again. "Highly courageous. However," he aimed the ruler at the girls, "You have broken one of magic's main taboos! I'm sorry, but I'll have to erase your memories before we all are sentenced to an eternity of erminedom!"

Despite her blurred vision and her current damaged mobility, Chachamaru still managed to be before him in a flash, to grab his thin wrist very strongly. "Don't you dare."

"Sensei!" a tiny voice came from the other side of the bridge, panting and wheezing. "If you want to punish someone, punish me, please! It's all my fault, after all!"

They all looked at the newcomer; Kaga Ai stood with her hands on her knees, hunched over and with her tongue almost hanging out. "Sorry I failed both you, Sensei, and you, Eva-sama! I deserve anything you can do to me!"

"What the blazes?" Evangeline said. "You managed to break through my spell, and keeping your memories of it? How?"

"I'm sorry, but I can't say!" Ai wailed. "I-I just know I couldn't keep doing any harm to Sensei, so I broke down like the useless thing I am! Then I saw the lights at the distance, and I guessed you'd be here, so I came to apologize!"

"Where are your classmates, Kaga-san?" Itoshiki asked her.

"Ummm... Like you said, I left them at a safe place... One where no one will think of looking for them to hurt them..."

Cocone approached her, touched her, and blinked. "You left them at a trash dump."

Ai cried again. "They were too heavy for me to drag them all the way up! It's the dump right outside our dorm!"

Nozomu sighed. "It's good you're here, in any case. So I can erase your memory too..."

Negi stepped between him and the girls, extending his arms and shielding them all. "You'll have to erase my memory first!"

"Negi-kun...!" Misa breathed.

Itoshiki glared at him. "Is this a conscious challenge to the Academy's regulations, Negi-sensei? This could have quite serious consequences for you..."

Without saying a single word, the boy still stood against him, glaring back with intensity.

Feeling not only his eyes, but those of all the girls, from Evangeline's sharp and cold ones to Kaga's confused and fearful ones, so squarely fixed on him, the older teacher finally sighed and pocketed his ruler back. "I know I'll regret this."

"I can sympathize," Chisame honestly offered.

"Thank you for your undeserved vote of confidence!" Ai fell to her knees before them all. "I swear on my life I won't ever reveal your dark, horrible secret to the unaware masses you no doubt are preparing to sacrifice to the foul beasts of the pit in a naked orgy of lewd and immoral acts!"

Misa perked up. "Lewd and immoral acts, huh? Do we really do those things at this business?"

"What's the deal with her?" Chisame asked.

"Long story. I'll tell you later," the cheerleader promised.

"Hm, hm, hm. Dolts, all of you," Evangeline said, finally regaining her habitual aloofness. "Chachamaru! As for you, to make up for your unforgivable new failure, you'll have to repay me with decades, no, _centuries_ of the most abject servitude!"

"So no change then?" Nozomu asked.

Chachamaru looked hopeful. "Does that mean you aren't going to dismiss me, Master?"

"Dismiss you? HAH! That'd be too merciful to you! Your ass is mine, Chachamaru!" The undead mage closed a fist up. "And I'm going to make sure you work the hell out of it! Your ass is going to be so sore you'll never be able to sit down again!"

"Can't you pronounce two sentences without saying anything that won't be grounds for a sexual harassment lawsuit?" Misa wondered.

"Thank you so very much, Master," the robot softly smiled.

Negi, meanwhile, was chuckling softly, pulling his roster-book out and writing 'WE BEAT HER!' under Eva's picture. "Anyway, Evangeline-san, now you'll stop attacking people at night, won't you? And you won't skip any more classes, either... You'll study hard so you can graduate along with everyone else!"

Evangeline's dangerous smirk returned. "We'll see about that. But remember this, and remember it well, Boya. Watch your back. Because I'm far from being the only powerful enemy your father made, and they'll be gunning for you right like I was. You might not be so lucky next time." She turned to his Ministra. "As for the lot of you, I'd suggest pondering your future choices while you still have them. Tonight, you put on a pathetic, sad showing of poor, uncoordinated skills. If you really want to be Ministra Magi, you'll have to try better than that. If not, just quit right now. You've been warned. That's something the Mistress of Darkness does for almost no one." Her fierce green eyes sparkled threateningly.

Chisame looked stunned for a few moments at such grim words, until she noticed Negi staring up at her. "Talking about that, Chisame-san, whatever happened to your mouth?" He worriedly reached up, putting a hand on a cheek of his first Ministra. "Does it hurt?"

"Oh, this? It's nothing, really!" Chisame said while crouching down to give him a better view of her gums. "Chachamaru only grazed me with a fist. It doesn't even hurt anymore!"

"Are you sure about that, Hasegawa Chisame?" Evangeline chuckled callously, then grabbed Negi and Chisame's heads and pushed them against each other, making their lips to crash in a rough kiss. "Let's see about that!"

Negi's eyes widened just as Chisame's ones watered up with sudden tears of sharp pain.

At that moment, Chamo finally arrived the scene, bathed in sweat and dragging himself on. "Path too long... Legs too short..." Then he brightened. "Oh, Bro! I see you all decided to skip the pointless fight and just start a wild party! Way to go! I'll get the video camera, whipped cream and lubricant"

"KYAAAAA!" Chisame jerked her head back. "THAT HURT!"

As Misora and Misa began to tease her mercilessly, Negi seemed vacant and mesmerized for a moment, while absently swallowing the few drops of the blood from Chisame's gums, rolling them into his tongue, finding its taste so wonderfully sweet. If he had been more aware of himself, he'd have noticed, at the same time, a brief tingle at the spot of his neck where Eva had bitten him. But the strange sensation went as quick as it had come, and he paid it no actual attention.

* * *

Next morning, the girls in Negi's class, with no exception for once, were staring blankly and in a complete silence at the new addition to their classroom, who now stood before them along a quietly suffering-looking Negi, having just written her name on the chalkboard.

The short blond girl smiled cutely at them. "So yes, I am Mina Tepes, and I will indeed be your classmate, for the duration of this term at the very least! I look forward to a very enriching learning experience with you!"

Even Zazie, while not exactly open-mouthed, was expressing some emotion, in the form of a stop to her usual ball juggling and a quiet, long and fixed stare. _Zazie_. Evangeline's mouth twitched slightly at one of its corners. Chisame's expression displayed a confusing mixture of dread, annoyance and disgust. Yue's eyes had become two tiny black dots. The always empty first seat at the front of the class seemed to shift on itself slightly, as if trembling, but everyone was too distracted to notice or care.

Kakizaki of all people was the first one to react, lifting a quaking finger and slowly pointing it at the newcomer. "You... are really that one... the Mina Tepes in TV?"

Nod.

_"Here in our class...?"_ Misa asked again.

Nod, nod.

There was a blunt, general silence.

"I have a question, if you don't mind," asked Chachamaru, who had finally snapped of looking as logically stumped as a mechanical doll could.

"Of course I don't. Ask away," Mina-sama allowed, with a smile.

"I never would have expected for one in your position to spend any part of your time pursuing a position as a student amongst us," Chachamaru stated. "As a matter of fact, I never would expect for _any_ powerful vampire to spend any time at this academy unless they were forced against their will to do so." And when hearing that, Eva clenched her teeth and fists alike. "So, may I ask if you have been placed here against your will? Because that is something no one should ever do."

"Tell that to my father," Chisame muttered.

Mina-sama smiled again. "No, I am here fully because of my own will. As a matter of fact, some of my advisors spoke against it, but it was necessary, as I see it. I need to complete my education, and to better show the human race we are willing to coexist peacefully, one should lead with the example. So please, just think of me as another student. Call me Mina-san at most, if you must."

More extremely awkward, and even terrified, silence, ensued, broken only by Fuuka and Fumika's panicked sobs as they leaned on each other.

Makie raised a hand. "I have another question!"

"I'll be pleased to answer," Mina-san said.

"Are you related to Eva-chan?" she asked, pointing at said classmate, whose exasperated expression only grew even more tense. "Because you look so alike...!"

Mina-san looked over at Eva, changed from a smile to a little smug smirk, and then laughed softly. "Oh, do you think so? I don't see any resemblance, cute as she is!"

"I'm not cute..." Evangeline mumbled dangerously under her breath.

"Regardless, no, regrettably, the whole of my family died long ago," Mina informed, growing more serious.

"Um..." a certain pineapple-haired redhead swallowed hard, extending a microphone ahead. "Asakura Kazumi, ma'am, of the school newspaper. Pleased to meet you, I hope you won't mind to grant us an exclusive interview, quite probably the most important one we'll ever cover..."

"I'd love to," Mina said.

Kazumi squealed in ecstatic glee inside. Whether that was a fraud or not, they had just been handed a gigantic scoop. Thanks a million, Lady Fortune! "Oh, um, thanks a lot! Ohhhh... forgive me if you think I'm starting with the wrong foot, but I think it's necessary asking... are you an actual, ah, vampire?"

She nodded and pulled on a corner of her own mouth, a long curved fang peeking out. Nodoka fainted, and Fuuka and Fumika cried, their hug almost crushing each other. "Certainly. Of course, during the daytime our powers are limited, so I'm afraid I can't give you any displays just yet."

Kazumi gulped. "Okay. Ahhh... I don't mean to offend with this either, but our readers would surely want to read about you age..."

There was another delicate laugh from her. "Oh, I'm so very sorry, but a lady never talks about that, Asakura-san! I sincerely hope you understand."

_So far so good_, a nervous Negi thought. _No one has killed anyone yet, maybe we can make it through this, maybe we actually can..._

And then Kazumi asked **that** question.

"Of course, we are, ah, all honored to have you here, but exactly why have you chosen **this** particular class in **this** particular school? I assume one as important and powerful as you wouldn't have left it to chance."

"Very perceptive. Indeed, that was a calculated decision. Mahora, being the Area Eleven's biggest and oldest academy, gifted with so much prestige and tradition, was always my most logical and treasured choice, of course. As a matter of fact, back in her day, my mother also studied here." Nodding at the gasps of surprise and disbelief, she nodded. "As for my selection of this class specifically... it has everything to do with one of you. One who is fated to great things by birth. One," she half-grinned, gesturing for a hand for emphasis, "who is going to be my loyal servant."

Thirty bodies and one spectral form, for one reason or another, backed away on their seats with varying degrees of intensity, from the nearly inexistent to the overwhelming.

As for Negi, he just repressed the ice-cold chill running up his spine lest it made him squirm and yelp in an extremely awkward manner.

It was not an easy task at all.

* * *

**To be Continued.**


End file.
